Backers of the Mississippi Rebels boast a profitable bowl record over the past two decades while Georgia Tech bettors have lost their shirts (and maybe their yellow jackets).
Music City Bowl betting odds: Mississippi vs Georgia Tech pick, preview
This post was provided to SB Nation by OddsShark.com
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The Mississippi Rebels (SEC, 7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS, 6-6 OU) have been bowling 10 times over the last 22 years, but over that span they’ve gone 9-1 SU and 8-1-1 ATS including a current run of 5-0 SU over their last five.
It’s one small factor in the Music City odds being tilted in favor of Ole Miss.
Georgia Tech, on the other hand, is just 1-7 SU and 2-6 ATS over its last eight bowl appearances. The two teams meet in this year’s Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, with Ole Miss going off as a three-point favorite (which was holding steady as of Dec. 26).
Ole Miss played better than its record would indicate this season, with three of its five losses coming against teams that finished in the top 10. With an offense that ranked 23rd in the nation in offensive yardage with 473 yards per game and a defense that ranked 46th allowing 376.5 points per game, the Rebels were competitive in just about every contest, including an impressive win over LSU.
Still, Ole Miss finished the season on a low note with an 0-2 SU and ATS record over its last two games and the Odds Shark computer is predicting a 39-32 upset to continue that slide.
[ Music City Bowl betting odds history, trends, current odds ]
In a nutshell, Georgia Tech’s excellent rushing attack (sixth best in the nation averaging 311.7 yards per game) and solid defense (22nd allowing 350.5 yards per game) was good enough to beat bad teams but couldn’t get the job done against quality opponents.
The Yellow Jackets (ACC, 7-5 SU, 5-6-1 ATS, 8-4 OU) were favored by seven or more points eight times this season and went 7-1 SU and 4-2-1 ATS in those games. In four games as the underdog, Georgia Tech went 0-4 SU and ATS.
The total has played under in eight of the last 12 Music City Bowls. The Yellow Jackets were 7-1 on the over in their last eight regular season games, but have gone under in three of their last four bowls.
Georgia Tech snapped a seven-game bowl winless skid with last year’s 21-7 win over USC in the Sun Bowl, and will likely need another very strong defensive performance this year to beat this well-rounded Ole Miss team.
Computer Prediction: 39-32 Georgia Tech | See college football bowl odds on every game
